Strawberry availability from the UK has taken a dip this week as Elsanta has finished promptly and everbearers are running late.
“Elsanta has finished now and we have a bit of a gap which we are filling with Dutch fruit,” said Rob Morris of the Summerfruit Company. “We have a later season anyway and the poor weather in July has affected it.”
Cooler temperatures in the latter part of July meant that the everbearer cop did not develop at its usual rate. “Later in August everbearers should be available - by the third week,” said Morris. “We need the sunshine and at the moment we are just waiting for Everest.”
The Summerfruit Company has one producer growing mid-season glasshouse Elsanta which is also helping to bridge the gap.
Meanwhile, raspberry production has passed its peak in terms of English supplies and importers are now looking to fruit from the US and the Valle del Jerte region of Spain.
This is in contrast to the same point in the 2004 season when there were significantly higher volumes of UK fruit, and this year the industry was bracing itself for a glut that has not materialised.
“The difference this season is that the weather has slowed down volume coming on stream,” said Morris. l
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